HELENA, Mont. – Bismarck State pushed Carroll College in the opening two sets but couldn't capitalize late as the Mystics fell 3–0 (27–25, 25–22, 25–15) on Thursday night inside the PE Center.
The Mystics (5–21, 3–18 Frontier) held late leads in both the first and second sets, including a 23–22 advantage in the opener, but the Saints (16–13, 11–10) closed each frame on decisive runs to take control of the match. Carroll finished with 40 kills and seven service aces while holding BSC to .031 hitting overall.
Sophomore outside hitter Reese Duchsherer paced BSC with 10 kills and 10 digs, notching her sixth double-double of the season. McKenna Brendel and Chelsa Krom added six kills each, while libero Piper Harris anchored the defense with 22 digs.
Bismarck State opened the night with its best offensive set, hitting .119 and trading points through 13 tie scores, but a 3–0 Carroll run flipped set point and gave the Saints the 27–25 win. The Mystics again threatened in set two, but 12 attack errors proved costly as Carroll escaped 25–22.
The Saints took full control in the third, hitting .175 and using four service runs to pull away for the sweep. Carroll's Taysa Conger led all players with 15 kills on .324 hitting.
BSC finished with 65 digs and four blocks, but could not overcome a 7–0 deficit in aces and 25 total attack errors.
The Mystics, currently sitting outside the top eight in the conference standings, will not have the opportunity to compete for a Frontier Conference title next week in Helena, at the PE Center, where they played on Thursday night. With that, their final game of the 2025 season, their inaugural season in the NAIA, will come to a close on Friday, Nov. 7, as they head to Billings, Mont., to take on Rocky Mountain (2-24, 1-19). BSC defeated the Battlin' Bears on Oct. 4 in four sets in what was their first home NAIA victory. They'll look to do the same on Friday to claim their first road NAIA victory and conclude the season on a high note heading into 2026.
Friday's game against Rocky Mountain will begin at 7 p.m. CST from the Fortin Education Center.
Make sure to check the volleyball schedule for information on how to stream and attend the upcoming games.
Be sure to visit BSCMystics.com and download the MysticNation app to continue to stay up to date with everything going on in Mystic Athletics.
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